Uncurable Pain
by linkinparkh2over
Summary: Kory's past is filled with the pain of an abusive boyfriend, Xavier. Now, she's over it and has the best boyfriend in the world, Richard. But what happens when Xavier gets out of jail and is willing to do ANYTHING to get her back? RICHKORY R&R nicely
1. Chapter 1

KORY'S POV

Tears streaming down her face, she ran as fast as she could. Where? She couldn't say. She just had to get away…away from him. What had seemed like a perfect relationship had gone terribly wrong.

Her boyfriend, Xavier, had started drinking every night, saying his life was miserable. When he was drunk, he made Kory's life miserable. She'd often get a call from him late at night. Since her parents were never around, she'd throw on some clothes and groggily drive to his apartment. She always knew what to expect, but what was she supposed to do? ignore his phone calls? No. Then he'd be even more pissed. If she ignored him, he'd drive to her house, and if he hadn't gotten into some horrible car accident…her punishment would be worse. So even though her whole body shook as she pulled into his driveway, she never turned back.

Once she got to his house, she'd turn the key he had given her a long, long time ago, (when things were happy), slowly in the lock. Peering in, she'd see him slumped against one wall or another. Taking a deep breath, she would silently walk over to him and start cleaning up around him. This meant picking up empty bottles and whatever household items he had chosen to break this time around. She would do everything to postpone the inevitable. After everything was done, and she could avoid him no more, she'd turn to him and try to get the half full bottle of gin from his twitching hands. It was a real battle of wills, and he was strong, but sooner or later, she'd win and, sobbing, she'd turn to face him after putting it away. She never let him keep it: and he never failed to punish her for it.

The first blow came quick and hard, knocking her over onto the floor, the taste of blood filling her once smile-prone mouth. The next five to ten were delivered worse than the first. They'd strike her anywhere and everywhere. After he had worked himself into exhaustion, which usually took a good twenty minutes at the least, he'd collapse on the floor in a fitful sleep, and she'd pick up her aching body and drive home.

She knew why he did this, and she knew it probably wouldn't ever stop. He was one of those people who've never really belonged. Sure, he had had friends…like Kory and….Kory, but he had never really known where he was meant to be. One day, he was a bad boy, coming in with his slick leather jackets and parking his new Harley by Kory's silver BMW expedition. The next, he was the school jock, trying out for some sports team or another. One thing was for sure though: he was gorgeous. His ebony locks were long and in a skater cut. He had to shake his head often to get them out of his eyes, which Kory simply loved. He had an even tan, and a tone body, though not as tone as Richard's, Kory had to admit-

"Richard!" she said aloud. Why hadn't she thought of him before? Richard was her best friend, and she knew she could count on him to know what to do…but should she call this late at night?

Kory stopped running to take a breath. She slowly turned around to see where her feet had taken her. She had run out of Xavier's house and down the street, over two blocks to the left, and down the next street to the right. She knew this street well. She used to walk around the neighborhood, just because, with Richard. Then Xavier came into the picture…he was always the jealous type. She came to a stop under the big oak tree that had been on that street for as long as she could remember. Kory got out her cell phone and dialed Richard's number, slowly, trying to ignore the pain coursing through every inch of her body.

This night had been different...it was worse. She had finally stood up for herself, and had paid dearly for it. After about three blows, she had knocked over the stand next to his couch and stood up, cursing at him over the sofa. His shock quickly turned to anger at her defiance. Once she had realized her mistake, it was too late. He charged her, grabbing her around the waist and pinning her down. He punched her rapidly, and she screamed bloody murder. After about five intense minutes, Xavier left Kory more bruised, bloody, and sore than he had ever left her before. As she sobbed, too sore to move, something in him changed. He seemed to have realized what he had done this time, because he started crying, too. He came over to her and picked her up, saying how sorry he was, but she pushed him away and somehow managed to muster up the strength to flee. He had called after her, but she was over it. She knew she couldn't take any more of his abuse. She finally realized, it was over.

Richard's voice on the other end of the line threw her thoughts off course once more.

"Hello?" he asked groggily. Kory felt bad for waking him up. She bit her lip in guilt, but stopped immediately once the taste of blood worked its way to her tongue.

"Rich…I'm so so sorry to wake you up like this but-" Kory began, but she was cut off.

"Kory?" He didn't sound tired anymore. Kory knew he had liked her for some time, and she secretly returned the feeling, but she couldn't bring herself to endanger the best friendship she'd ever had. "Kory, what's wrong? Why are you up so late? Have you been crying?"

In the background, Kory could hear Rich getting out of bed and probably reaching into his dresser drawer to pull out a shirt.

"Look, I can't talk about it here but…Oh Rich!" She felt the tears coming again. "Please just…just come and get me. If its not too much trouble, I mean, I could always walk home…or call a cab-"

"Where are you?" Rich asked firmly, as if he wouldn't ever let Kory walk home alone at night.

"I'm on Staples Street…about three blocks south of…of Xavier's apartment." Kory answered, trying to keep her voice steady. "I'll explain everything when you get here. Please, just hurry."

Kory had chosen to end the conversation there, because she saw something that shook her to the bone. Her car was making its way quickly and dangerously down the street. But cars did not drive themselves, and she knew who was behind the wheel.

RICHARDS POV

"Stay strong, Kor-I'm on my way." Rich hung up the phone with a strong serge of anger coursing through his veins. He knew Xavier had something to do with this, and if he found out that that jerk had hurt Kory in any way…Rich was a master of revenge.

In a matter of seconds, Richard was out of his mansion and into his car…er…one of his many many cars.

Richard was not an ordinary boy. He was heir of Wayne Enterprizes, and his father, (adopted father), Bruce Wayne, was head of it all. In short, they were borderline rich-multimillionaires. Rich's real parents had perished some time ago, in a freak accident. Aside from Bruce, Rich, and Alfred, (the Wayne family's loyal butler), the only people who knew every detail of Rich's tragic past were Victor Stone, Rich's best guy friend, and Kory, Rich's best friend in the world-not to mention passionate but secret love interest.

The only detail Rich had left out of his whole life tale when telling Kory everything, was how much he loved-

For the umpteenth time this night, something had shaken some heroic team out of their intensive thoughts. This time, it was Rich who's thought train crashed, just as he watched everything that matter in his life crash right before his very eyes.

He had turned onto the street that Kory was on, and he saw Kory. But that's not the only person he saw. Xavier Red was holding her by the hair and trying to force her into the backseat of her own car. She flailed helplessly, and managed to sink an elbow into his ribs, only to be pulled back and receive a smack in the face. She fell to the floor, and Rich felt his heart do summersaults. Quickly, he pulled his 2006 black Mercedez Benz over to the side of the road and jumped out before it reached a complete stop. Running over to Xavier, he grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and pushed him up against the big oak tree that Kory's car was (somewhat crookedly), parked under.

"Let's get a few things straight, okay _buddy_?" Every bone in Richard's body seemed to be shaking in anger. This jerkwad had hurt Kory…RICHARD'S Kory.

"Number one. You are no longer a part of Kory's life. You will not speak to her. You will not look at her. You will not think about her. And you will most definitely NOT touch her, ever, ever again. Understood?" Richard was speaking slowly, syllable by syllable, trying to force himself not to break every bone in Xavier's body.

"Yes." Xavier was sending silent death threats to Richard, but at the moment, Richard could care less. Richard continued.

"Number two. If I ever see you within a continent and two states of Kory, Kory's house, or anything that relates to Kory, you will pay through the nose, and I will be the one rubbing your broken face into the dirt. Understood?"

"Yes." Its amazing how Xavier could talk while he was making a grimace like that.

Using one hand to hold Xavier to the tree, Rich reached into his back pocket, dialing three numbers quickly, and slowly putting it to his ear in a gesture of torture.

"Hello, yes I do have an emergency. My girlfriend was just abused by her ex, and she's bleeding on the ground. The address is 57682 Staples Street, and I have him right here. I'm holding him against an oak tree. I'll be fine. Yes he is dangerous, but my girlfriend is the one I'm worried about right now so if you could send someone as soon as possible, that would be nice!" After a few more seconds, Rich said thank you and hung up the phone.

Silence filled the street for quite a time, until it was broken by Rich.

"The police are on the way to come and collect before I scatter your pieces." Rich said, but Xavier wasn't listening. He was glaring at Kory.

"You cheated on me? What did he mean…by 'his girlfriend'?" Xavier almost whispered. However, this is the kind of whisper you don't want to hear. This is the kind of whisper you almost wish was shouted instead.

Kory shivered, and looked at Rich with a meaningful stare.

"I didn't cheat on you, Xavier. You cheated on me. You put your alcohol before me, and now, you are my ex. I don't want to see you ever again, Xavier. We're over."

"You can't break up with me, you stupid bi-" Xavier began, but the sounds of sirens echoed off the houses and bounced back at the teens in an unreal, almost movie-like manner. Before they knew it, Xavier was hand cuffed and taken away in a squad car, still cursing at Kory as she leaned into Rich's embrace, sobbing. Rich's arms immediately went around her waist protectively, and he wouldn't let the police ask her anything until the morning, when he agreed to come into the station at nine.

The drive home was basked in uncomfortable silence, and it was quietly agreed that Kory would stay the night at Richards, in the guest bedroom down the hall that had been pretty much hers since about third grade. She already had a closet full of possessions in the room, and another closet full of shoes.

They pulled into the twenty-plus car garage and Rich looked over at Kory, grabbing her hand protectively when he saw her blankly stare out of her window. She looked over at the sudden contact, and slowly looked into Rich's eyes, tears filling her own. She spoke for the first time since her outburst at Xavier.

"Rich…did you really mean what you said…about me being your…girlfriend?" She asked almost timidly. She was totally and secretly in love with him, and for him to say no would be too much to handle in one night.

"Yes…I mean…if you wanted…"

"Rich…can I stay in your room tonight? I mean…I'll sleep on the floor and all, but…I'm scared…" she said, cutting him off embarrassedly.

"No, don't be silly, I'll sleep on the floor! It's no big…wait…was that a yes?" He asked, surprised at his boldness.

Kory leaned over and swiftly kissed him on the cheek, smiling for the first time in what seemed like years to her. "Yes" she said softly, and let go of his hand to duck out of the car.

Rich touched his cheek gently, hardly believing there could be a happy ending to such a horrible night, before he followed suit.

So what do you think? Should I end it there, or keep going: review please.


	2. Chapter 2

Okay so, apparently I've struck gold with this story, and I've decided the only thing to do about it, is to stop after the first chapter….

SYKE! Haha JUST KIDDING. I would never do that to you! Okay, but just to warn you, I am notorious for not finishing my stories, because I eventually lose inspiration for them. However, my resolution this year is to stick it out with all of my stories, starting with this one. After this story, I'll finish "Bad Luck", "The Fudge", "Lies to be Forgotten", and then I'll repost my other golden story, "Desperate Acquaintances".

Merry Christmas to all!

And Happy Hanukah!

And Happy Kwanza!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans.

SIX MONTHS LATER

Kory was better now. She had gone to therapy for half a year, and things had finally started looking up for the teen. She was three quarters of the way finished with her junior year. Since her bubbly, fun-loving personality had returned, she had once again become the school's most popular girl, and even the bounce in her hair and the shine of her skin had come back.

There were many rumors as to why Kory Anders, THE Kory Anders, had been spotted leaving and entering the psychologist's office on Pittners Street, or why the notorious alumna Xavier Red had reportedly been arrested for extreme violence towards an innocent girl from his past. There were rumors about the cuts and bruises that Kory had managed to turn up to school with for a solid three or four months, covered in make up and clothing. People wondered if Kory's friends had staged an intervention for her eating disorder yet...or the eating disorder that Kory was rumored to have. The only thing there weren't rumors about in Kory's life, it seemed, was Richard.

It was evident that Kory and Richard were meant to be, and it had been for a long, long time. Unfortunately, neither really realized that the other was madly in love with them. It was a wonder Kory stayed with Xavier so long, or that Richard had had that on and off fling with Barbara Gordon, who was also in Xavier's graduating class.

Only five people on the campus of Jump City High knew Kory's full story, including Kory. The other four had secretly taken it upon themselves to protect and guard Kory from anything that might ever hurt her again. She was the center of the group, she held them together, and ended their fights. Having her be timid and quiet for such a long time had caused them each significant pain, but when they had questioned her about the bruises, or the cuts, or the swollen, puffy eyes, she'd snap at them, and draw even farther away from them, into her little shell.

Blindly, they had decided to leave her alone for a while, hoping that she would somehow get better. They figured it was the best thing to do, since straight forward helping seemed to make her shy away from them even more. They silently noticed her drop in food consumption, and when she cut off her liquid supply, too, they had arranged a secret get together, to speak of the possibilities and of their options of helping their friend.

They knew Kory's parents were never home; always off at some party or another. Kory's family was of a royal line, they were rich, and it was the money that separated Kory's parents from their kids. It had caused Kory's older brother, Ryan, to leave and join the military straight out of high school, and Kory's older sister, Koma, not long after, to run away from home altogether. This took quite a toll on Kory, so Richard wrote a letter to Ryan at the naval base, and Ryan began checking up on Kory regularly. This brightened her spirits somewhat, but she never told Ryan that anything was wrong. It was always "I'm fine, how are you? Mom and dad send their love." And things like that. At around the same time that Xavier had become abusive, however, Ryan was shipped out…to Iraq.

So the group had never taken a largely active role in their friend's life, but this was different. It was getting way out of hand, and they had to stop it. They all cared about Kory too much to let her die from anorexia, and in their meeting, they planned to confront her the next day. They were going to talk to the principal, and ask for the most class periods off that she would allow them, and to borrow an empty classroom. They expected no intervention from the principal, since she was personally good friends with Victor's mom, and had a special place in her heart for the "famous five" as they were known on campus.

The famous five consisted of Rachel Roth, a shy, quiet girl, but a great friend. She was slightly gothic, but more punk than anything. She was short for her age, very petite, but she never let that stop her from shoving her foot up anyone's…er…backside if they rubbed her the wrong way. She wore dark clothes, and had dyed her hair a beautiful shade of violet, to match her exotically violet eyes. Garfield Logan was different. He was the class clown, and jokester. He was an animal lover, and had become a vegetarian when he was about seven. He had the most amazing green eyes, and his hair was tinted green. Richard Grayson was the playboy of the group. Although all five were quite rich, he was definitely the richest. He was handsome, playful, funny, and very athletic. He had a soft spot in his heart for Kory that no one could ever replace, but once you were his friend, he'd do anything to help you out. Victor Stone was the school's star quarterback. He had earned a varsity letter in freshmen year, and had leaded the school to three championship games already. In the first game, the coach played a senior quarterback since it was his last year, and the team lost horribly. The second game, Victor sprained his ankle three days before the game, and had to be tied down to his chair during the game so that he wouldn't try to get up and play on it. The team lost horribly. The third game…well, no one really knew what happened for sure, but Victor refused to play. However, he was determined to win it all on his senior year next year, and he was training all year round, getting ready for what he called "his last chance to prove himself". Last but not least, was Kory. She was really the best friend any of the famous five had ever had. She had stuck with Rachel when her father was abusive in seventh grade, and the two were like sisters. When Victor's dad had gotten in a fatal car accident, she was at his house immediately with a shoulder to cry on, for both Victor and his mother, and she was like family to both of them. When any of Garfield's pets had died, she was the only one to hold proper funerals, and she'd even take him out for ice cream…100 soy ice cream…afterwards. The next day, he could always count on her to appear on his door step with some fascinating new animal she had ordered from her homeland, Tameran. And to Richard, she was…everything. She always listened and tried to understand his problems and…well…he loved her.

So, the famous five planned the whole thing out, what they were going to say, what they were going to do, and how they were going to that talking to them about her problems would be okay.

But that night, as Richard slept fitfully, wondering about what was wrong with Kory, he got a call that woke him up, and forever changed everyone's lives.

But all that was six months in the path. Kory was pretty much back to her normal self. Rich and Kory were the cutest couple in JCH, and the five friends were closer than ever before, and Rachel, Garfield, Victor, and especially Richard, were hell-bent on making sure that nothing like that would ever happen to Kory, ever again.

And so, here we are now, are the very cusp of our story, and now you know the background of it. You know that Kory is extremely happy for the first time in God knows when, and that her friends are intent on keeping her that way.

But what you also know is that nothing ever is as it should be and that all good things eventually come to an end, whether we like it or not.

So even as Kory climbed the steps of her front porch and gave Richard the key to open the door to her house, and even as she watched her boyfriend's figure stepping into her house, and even as she thought to herself that she was the luckiest girl on earth, you know that this happy streak of lucky events are doomed to end sooner or later.

And unfortunately for Kory, these events would end sooner rather than later.

As Kory reached her hand into the mail box and felt around briefly until she found an envelope addressed to her, her brow furrowed in bewilderment and slit open the outer packaging, quickly skimming the contents of the formal letter she held in her hand.

The shock of what she was reading took her by surprise, and she felt a sudden wave of nausea over take her. As Rich came back out of the house to jokingly see what was taking her so long, she swooned on the sight, and he managed to catch her before she hit the ground. She managed to stay conscious, and leaned on him as they slowly made their way inside. Once they were in, Rich picked her up bridal style and laid her down on the couch, running to get her some water.

When at last he was sitting by her side with a glass of water at hand, he saw that she had either fallen asleep, or fainted on the couch.

His worry overtook him, and he called up Victor, whom he knew was currently driving Garfield and Rachel to their houses, and told him all that had happened. As Victor offered to turn the car around at once and drive them all to Kory's house, Richard told him to hold on a moment, as something caught his eye.

Kory was clutching a piece of paper in her hand, and as he released it from her grasp, the same overpowering shock came over him, and he sat down on the floor next to Kory's silent figure on the couch. Raising the phone back up to his ear, he relayed the message to Victor, who immediately made a U-Turn and promised to be there right away.

Ryan had been hurt in a battle. They weren't sure if it was fatal or not.

The worst news of all, however, was the letter that wasn't read. The letter that had dropped to the ground when Kory began to feel woozy. The letter that was now blowing away, and wouldn't be read by any of the famous five, but eventually blown into a storm drain and lost forever.

The letter that sealed not only bad news, but also Kory's fate.


	3. Chapter 3

Well, here it is guys: Chapter THREE:

I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans.

Kory leaned heavily on Rich's arm in order to get from the couch to the kitchen. Victor pulled out a chair for her once they managed to end the procession, and Rachel offered her a cup of herbal tea. When Kory refused, Rachel said, "It's as comforting as a pint of chocolate ice cream, with a fraction of the calories."

Kory looked up to catch one of Rachel's rarely given smiles, and gave her a small smile in return, accepting the cup. Everyone took a seat around Kory's kitchen table, not sure of what to say, or where to start.

An eery silence filled the whole house, and Kory felt like it was closing in on her, cutting off her oxygen supply and choking the breath out of her. She inhaled deeply, and was disappointed at the small amounts of air barely managing to reach her lungs. She felt her knees shaking under the table, as well as her hands.

In an attempt to steady herself, she took a gulp of tea; it was too hot and too big for her to handle, and half of it went down the wrong pipe. Gasping and spluttering, she tried to stand up but only fell back onto the chair.

Richard immediately went to her aid, but by that time, Kory had pretty much gotten the choking under control. Pushing him away, Kory got up from the table and left the room. Her friends hardly dared to move. Not a word was said for quite a while. Rachel sipped her own mug of tea slowly. Gar looked out the window and observed a sparrow gathering twigs to make a nest, wishing his friends could be as hopeful as the small bird. Victor absentmindedly doodled football plays on a napkin while his mind was traveling elsewhere. And Richard…well Richard sat in his chair and stared at the kitchen door, wondering if he should venture through to the other side of it, and attempt to find his girl friend.

Suddenly, a distant, but familiar noise brought Victor back from whatever he was thinking about. It was the sound of a car door slamming shut, and he wasn't the only one who had heard it. With a swift glance around the room, Richard dashed up from his chair, closely followed by everyone else.

Questions raced through Rich's mind as the party reached the living room. _Was that the sound of someone leaving, or arriving? Was it Kory, leaving to do something unwise in a fit of agony and sorrow? Was it more news of Ryan? Was it Mr. and Mrs. Anders? And if so, what are they doing home from their royal tour of Tameran so soon?_

One of those questions was answered fairly quickly, however, because Kory was swiftly coming down the grand staircase. Her cheeks were tearstained, and she froze halfway down the stairs and stared blankly and unbelievingly at the door.

The key turned in the lock, and the tension was so thick in the room, you could have cut it with a knife. If it wasn't such a serious moment, Garfield would have stated that fact, and probably earned a smack from Rachel. Looking at her worried face, he grabbed her hand, and was surprised to feel that she returned the grasp instead of pushing him away. He smiled to himself for a fraction of a second, but then turned his attention back to the doorway.

It seemed to be the longest three seconds of Kory's life, as the unexpected visitor struggled with the numerous locks on the door. (Mr. and Mrs. Anders were of the more superstitious type).

Kory closed her eyes and leaned on the banister, steadying herself, and preparing herself for the worst. She heard the door finally open, and a gasp come from her friends. Flinging open her eyes and descending a couple more steps down the staircase, her gaze came to rest on the very last person she had ever expected to see stepping casually into the Anders household.

"K-Koma?" Kory stuttered out. "Wha-What are you d-doing h-h…here?"

"Now, is that any way to greet your long lost sister?" Koma asked, not waiting for an answer before speaking again. "Anyway, be a dear and take my bags up to my old bedroom, won't you? And while you're at it, sister dear, you can take my new boyfriend's bags up there, too."

Richard objected. "How about you take your own bags up to your own room, Koma?" Richard knew Koma had always went out of her way to give Kory hell, and he despised her almost as much as Kory did herself because of it.

Koma's eyes blazed with anger, but her voice was calm. "I'd be careful of the way you speak to me, Richard. I've already mentioned that I have my new boyfriend with me, and he has a bad temper. Don't make him do anything that he'd regret when facing the charges." With that, Koma flipped her hair and stalked past Kory and up the steps, looking around her old home.

A teen with bright red hair decided to make his entrance, stopping at the doorway. Kory was already making her way down the steps, hardly daring to believe that everything was happening so fast, but stopped on the last step to give Koma's new boyfriend the once-over. He was pretty cute, nicely built, but nothing would ever compare to her Richard. He was definitely younger than Koma, but that was how the older Anders girl had always liked them: they were easier to push around if they were inexperienced.

Kory remembered the time when Koma had tried to get at Richard….then she stopped remembering, for Koma's safety.

She stepped up and offered a hand to the teen, but after a second of blatantly checking her out, (Richard didn't fail to notice), he grabbed her forearms and held her to his body, instead. In surprise, Kory whimpered a little bit, slightly scared by the force that was hugging her. Richard stepped up quickly to regain possession of his girlfriend, whom he held to his side, but gently-much different than the strange boy's odd hug.

"Hi. My name is Roy. I was just introducing myself to…" Roy looked at Kory uncertainly.

"My name is Kory…I'm Koma's sister." Kory mumbled, thankful of Richard's overprotectiveness.

"Yes. Kory. She's way better looking than Koma, but I see that she is already taken." Roy said.

"Yeah. She is, and hopefully she'll stay that way," Richard retorted. He didn't like the guy one bit.

"Well, if anything ever happens in 'loveland', don't hesitate to give me a call. Koma's great in the sac, but I'd love to try you out sometime, too." Roy winked at Kory and proceeded to swiftly move past the couple and up the stairs. Richard tried to follow, with both hands clenched tightly into fists, but Kory stepped in front of him. He looked down at her, and saw that tears were silently streaming down her face.

His anger melted to compassion, and he wrapped his arms around Kory's waist in a warm embrace. The two stayed like that and showed no signs of wanting to move, and no one was willing to force them.

Victor turned to Gar, quietly saying, "Let's go get Koma and Roy's bags before one of them throws a fit. They left the scene, and a while later, Kory told Rich that she was going to go lay down.

Kory slowly went up the steps, and after she had reached her room, Rich looked uncertainly at Rachel. She offered some advice.

"Go watch over her…lay down with her and just let her sleep in your presence…It will make her feel safer." Rich nodded and got halfway up the stairs when the two heard a loud crash and crazy cackling coming from outside.

Rich halted. "What was that?!"

Rachel poked her head out the door and came back, almost smiling. "It was Victor and Garfield throwing Koma and Roy's luggage into the trash cans, and running away laughing.

Rich paused for a moment. "Oh…that's good, for a second I thought they were doing something stupid." He went the rest of the way up the stairs, and Rachel walked out of the door, shutting it behind her.

"Hey, tweedle-dumb and tweedle-dumber, take me home! I'm gonna get some clothes and sleep over at Kory's house tonight." Rachel said, getting into the car. Victor and Gar followed suit, and the trio drove off, hoping everything would soon be alright for Kory.

THAT WAS THE NEXT CHAPTER! IF I DON'T HAVE A TOTAL OF 15 REVIEWS AFTER THIS….I WONT UPDATE: Review please!


	4. Chapter 4

**So…I believe I owe some people an update . Okay so, thank you so much to all of my reviewers: every good review I get boosts my confidence even more, and it makes me a much better writer! Keep doing what you do and I'll keep writing for you! I love you guys.**

Rachel moved quickly. This was partly because she had an emergency bag packed at all times for when she would need to sleep over at Kory's, and partly because she was determined to help her best friend bounce back from this horrible blow. It seemed like everything happened to Kory, and Rachel hated it more than words could ever describe. The two were like sisters, could Rachel help it if she was over protective every once in a while?

She left her house as quietly as she had come, and merely seconds afterwards. The boys were in the car waiting, and looked at her curiously and with more than a little disbelief.

"You're back…already?" Garfield asked, leaning in from the back seat and poking his head in between the two front seats to look at Rachel with a slight frown.

"Yes, unless you'd like me to go back inside and take longer, because if that's what you'd prefer-" started Rachel.

"No, it's alright, thanks." Garfield slid back into his seat and rested his head against the window with a sheepish grin. With a quick glance out the window, he added in an undertone, "I'd rather you be out here with me, anyway."

Rachel heard him, and for once, she decided not to embarrass him. She just smiled to herself (yeah that's right, I said SMILED), playing with the idea of her and Gar being a couple in her mind. Then she pulled her hood up where she could think in the comfort of a partially closed area. She decided that Kory was more important, and if she were to get together with Garfield….well, it would distract her from helping her best friend! Although, she admitted, it would be really nice to hold his-

"We're here!" Victor exclaimed, jolting Rachel out of her thoughts. She eagerly began getting out of the car, but stopped after a second.

"This…isn't Kory's house. Vic, have you lost your mind?" Rachel asked sarcastically. "This is-"

"Gar's house." Victor finished simply. "I know! We've decided we should sleep over, too."

Rachel snorted. "And why would that be?"

"Awww, come on, Rae, it'll be just like old times. And who could cheer Kory up better than me and Victor?" Gar said, getting out of the car and hopping up to his front door in sheer joy.

Rachel sighed. "Whatever, losers. But maybe we should stop by Rich's and get him some clothes, too."

Victor nodded. After waiting for twenty minutes for Gar to reappear, ("I got lost in my room! It's not my fault it's a mess!"), they stopped at Victors.

Rachel waited in the uncomfortable silent car with Victor, finding that the five minutes he spent in his house felt like an eternity. When he finally got back into the car, he announced that he had called Pizza King's and had them deliver five jumbo pizzas, (one meat lover's, one vegetarian, one olives and sausage, one Hawaiian, and one plain cheese), to Kory's house. He had put it on his tab. Gar whooped for a couple minutes before Rachel reached back and slapped him.

Victor chuckled. Some things never changed.

They stopped at the store to get some soda, chips, candy, and ice cream, and then they were on their way to Richard's.

The tune of "Walk it Out Remix" woke Richard up, and he answered his phone quickly, so it wouldn't wake up Kory, too. The two were lying on top of Kory's bed, with Richard sitting almost in an upright position, and Kory nestled into him. He glanced down at her, and smiled at the peacefulness of the look on her face as she slowly inhaled and exhaled, inhaled and exhaled. He wished she could just sleep all of her sorrows away, and he didn't fail to notice that she looked like an angel when she slept, either. He quietly spoke into the receiver, then remembered that his girlfriend was known to sleep through earthquakes and thunderstorms, and even the occasional hurricane. He didn't need to worry about waking her up, she'd open her eyes when she was good and ready. From the look of things, he still had about another hour and a half.

"Hello?" Rich said, absent-mindedly stroking Kory's hair.

"Hey Rich. I'm at your house. What clothes do you want me to bring you?" Rachel said, pulling out a duffle bag from the closet and dumping an armful of toiletries into it.

"Um…would you mind telling me why you're at my house and why you're bringing me clothes?" Rich said, confused. Had he missed something?

"Me and the guys have decided we're all sleeping over at Kory's tonight. We don't want her alone with Koma…or her boyfriend." Rich said.

"Good idea." Rich said through gritted teeth. Just the thought of that slimeball made him want to-

"Okay, I know you're wrapped up in your hateful thoughts of Roy, but I just want to warn you that Victor has already sent over five pizzas and they should be getting there any minute. Don't worry about paying, though, they're on his tab." Rachel said.

"Thanks, Rach. Um, could you just bring me some jeans and my black and red Nike shirt? And um, just grab me any pair of pajama pants." Said Rich.

"Would you like any socks with that?" Rachel used her signature sarcasm.

"Yes, thank you." Rich said, too deep in thought to realize it was a joke.

"Okay, we'll be over in about five or ten minutes." Rachel said, but then her tone changed, "Rich…how is she?"

Rich looked down at her sleeping girlfriend, smiling to himself, and said, "She's alright. She's still asleep. She'll be okay if we all stick by her side again. She really needs us…its horrible that this is happening to her right when things were starting to look up."

"I agree. Okay, well, we'll be there in a few." Rachel said.

The two said their goodbyes and hung up.

With perfect timing, the doorbell rang. Rich got up and propped some pillows up for Kory in his place. He kissed her on the forehead and promised a speedy return before leaving the room and silently shutting the door behind him.

Bounding down the stairs, he collected the pizza's from the star-struck boy with bad acne, ("Hey, you go to my school! Richard Grayson, right? And you're dating Kory Anders! Oh my God, is she here? Can-can I say hi? Is Rachel or Victor here? What about Garfield? Oh my God wait until I tell everyone at school I hung out with Richard Grayson this weekend!"), and watched him dazedly walk down the front porch, talking to himself excitedly.

Shaking it off and trying desperately not to laugh at the poor kid, he made sure to leave the door unlocked for the gang and put the pizza's on the kitchen counter. Making his way back up the stairs, he decided to go back and lay down with Kory for a little while longer, at least until she woke up. He wanted to be there when she woke up, to tell her everything was alright, to assure her that-

Something was different, he decided, as he stopped two steps from the top of the staircase. Something was definitely different. There was a slight breeze coming out of Kory's open door, and it sent chills up Richard's spine, even though it wasn't too cold.

Richard smacked his forehead in realization. He hadn't left the door to Kory's room open. He jumped the last couple steps and ran to stand in her door jam, feeling a surge of anger when he saw that someone had taken his place, and that the person was stroking her hair and allowing his hand to roam freely over Kory's perfect body.

Scowling, Rich shut the door behind him, and that dirty, filthy, caniving person jumped up and laughed nervously.

"Get your hands off of my girlfriend, and go violate your own!" Rich said silently, every syllable shaking with anger.

"Sorry, man. You know how it is…" Roy, the man that had dared touch RICH'S Kory, said uncertainly, edging slowly around Rich. Rich grabbed him by the shirt and threw him to the floor.

"No," said Rich. "But I know how it's gonna be."

**Okay so, not that exciting of a chapter. Don't worry, Xavier will have quite a bit of action in chapters to come, but in order for you to understand it, make sure you don't forget about that letter that Kory never read. The one that blew away. If you don't know what I'm talking about, go back and reread chapter two, okay? You need to remember it so that you understand when…..haha I'm not going to blow the story! But if you review I'll post the next chapter and we can get closer to Xavier's return :**


	5. Chapter 5

**SORRY it took so long to update!!! I play basketball for my high school on both the freshman and jv teams and now I practice w/ both and stuff because my coach wants me to be on varsity next year..and with homework and girl scouts (don't ask) and BOYS…you know how it gets..hehe. Here it is, here it is, here it is!**

Rich pulled back for a right hook and landed it perfectly. Doing the same with his left, he felt some of his anger leaving him. He bent over Roy's body that was formed into a heap of pain and whispered "Now I want you to get out of Kory's room, and don't you EVER let me catch you even looking at her, let alone touching her, again!'

Roy nodded, trying to muster up whatever dignity he had left, and ran out of the room with his hands covering his nose. Rich sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed, with his back facing Kory. Closing his eyes and resting his head in his hands, he looked rather small, and vulnerable, which is just the way he felt at the moment.

_What am I supposed to do now? The love of my life seems to be followed by bad luck, and now I can't even protect her from sneaky predators like Roy? How am I supposed to be here for her, I don't know what to do half the time I'm around her…It's always one thing or another that goes wrong! Why is this all happening to Kory? She's the best person I've ever met, and the best thing that's ever happened to me! I just can't-_

A soft word spoken jarred Rich from his thoughts. A sudden air of panic, and the shock of the groping of one hand for another.

"Richard.." The word was spoken again, though more urgent sounding, this time. "Richard, Richard I need you...don't leave me here with him, please! Richard, I love you."

Rich gently shook his girlfriend until those bright green orbs blinked open. Though they weren't at their usually glowing state-they looked cloudy and hopeless and dull. The emeralds danced with tears and drew closed as she buried her face into Richard's chest and cried.

Richard was moved deep into thought as he absentmindedly stroked his girlfriend's hair, shushing her and comforting her. _So I really can protect her…We'll get through this somehow…all of us, together. Kory knows that we love her, and we know that she needs us. And even if I'm the only one who's able to be there to come between her and Roy…or any other danger…Kory won't be harmed, because I wont let her._

Kory went back into a tense sleep in a matter of minutes. And as the two teens snuggled in the purplish darkness of the sky giving in to dusk, Richard looked down at the red haired beauty he now held in his arms, and said "I love you too, Kory."

And with that, he fell asleep, too.

**I know it was short…by tomorrow I'll post the next one and it will be the sleepover, ok: I LOVE reviews! And I LOVE reviewers!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Okay, so I promised everyone an update due to the last chapter being so short! Here it is! I'm a girl of my word, what can I say? But just before I start, I'd like to say thank you SO MUCH to everyone that has reviewed so far! Your reviews keep me going, and if I didn't have them, I'd definitely be slowing down with the story: you know how it is when you get writer's block and no one seems to like your story, anyway! Haha, well, thanks!**

Kory and Rich had come downstairs about an hour ago. When Kory saw what all her friends had done for her, (getting all this food and sleeping bags just to make sure she would be alright), her tearstained face positively beamed. The night was just getting underway when Koma decided to make her entrance.

"So…why wasn't _I_ invited to your little party?" asked Koma, a little annoyed. Her sister was NOT allowed to have fun if she wasn't there to have more. She grabbed a piece of Hawaiian pizza and a soda and plopped down on the couch in between Gar and Rae. This action made a couple of pieces of pineapple drop into Rachel's lap, and her vein throbbed. Rachel's nose wrinkled in sheer dislike.

"Koma, go away." Rachel said, grabbing the soda from her hand and putting it on the table. Gar took the piece of pizza and Victor came up behind her, picking her up under the arms and giving her a little shove in the direction of the door.

"Sorry, but we really don't want you here." Richard said, fighting back a smile at the look on Koma's face.

"Wh-what? This is MY house. You can't have a party in MY house and not let me be a part of it!" Koma screamed, picking up one of her mother's finest dishes on display and hurling it at the opposite wall. Suddenly, all eyes were fixed on one person. Not Koma, but Kory.

_Xavier threw a lamp at the wall, cursing at his girlfriend. "This is all_ YOUR_ fault! I should've dumped you when I had the chance! Get out of my house!" Kory made a run for it, but he grabbed her by the hair and flung her backwards, landing fist after fist into her gut and onto her face. The face that once held so much happiness was now contorted in pain and suffering. Tears swelled in those beautiful emerald eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She had to get out……_

Kory was on all fours with her hands covering her head, screaming. "Stop! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to!"

Rich shook her gently until she seemed to snap out of it. Koma stood stock still, mouth slightly open, looking at her sister in wonder. "What's wrong with her?"

Garfield flung a pillow at the eldest Anders girl in anger and frustration. "You made her have a flashback! For ONE TIME in your life, Koma, think of someone else besides you! WE DON'T WANT YOU HERE; tonight is about KORY, not KOMA! Get that through your thick skull and go back upstairs to that slime ball of a boyfriend!" Garfield blinked back surprise…he didn't normally get that angry. He guessed that he had seen so much suffering in Kory's eyes in the last year…he just couldn't take it anymore.

Garfield turned his attention back towards his four best friends, three of which were huddled around Kory, who was shaking and crying silently against Richard's chest. No one saw Koma's eyes form into little slits of anger as she ascended the stairs. She had very unpleasant thoughts as she went into her room and slammed the door behind her.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! What's wrong, babe?" Roy asked.

"That little brat of a sister and her stupid friends! 'It's about Kory, not Koma'" she mocked Garfield with malice. "They don't know what they're talking about: EVERYTHING'S about me! They'll pay for this, they will!"

Roy noticed his girlfriend was considerably upset over this, and an idea formed in his head. "You're right, babe. Everything is about you. You're the center of the whole world! I mean…the planets have to revolve around something, right? Why not have it be the hottest girl in the universe?" _Besides Kory_. He added as an afterthought in his mind. He would **never** be stupid enough to say that aloud with Koma present.

Kory went to where Roy was sitting on the edge of her bed and sat on his lap, planting a seductive kiss on his lips. "Glad you see things my way."

"Wh-what happened?" Kory asked faintly, finally coming out of her shock.

"Koma threw a dish at the wall..." Victor said, scratching a particularly _un_itchy spot on the back of his bald head and averting his eyes from his friend's face.

"And?" Kory asked. She could tell when her friends weren't telling her the whole truth.

"And it must've…I don't know…caused a flashback or something…" Gar attempted, stopping short.

"A flashback from when you were with Xavier." Rachel was the only one brave enough to finish.

Kory's mouth was set in a firm and thin line. Her friends could tell that she was thinking, and didn't bother her. But when she unexpectedly got up and left the room, they all followed close on her heels. Kory was already pounding up the stairs when Richard reached the first step. After him were Victor, Rachel, and Garfield, in that order.

Kory knocked on her sister's door three times. Hard. She waited a couple seconds, and did it again.

She heard her sister say "Crap." And shuffling around inside the room. Roy answered the door with nothing but jeans on. His belt wasn't buckled, and Kory made disgusting assumptions in her mind before she could stop herself.

"Sweet, sweet Kory. I knew you'd be knocking on my door someday. What can I do for you, baby?" Roy asked in his smoothest voice. He didn't notice Richard behind her.

"Nothing at the moment, thanks." Said Kory, pushing past him and into her sister's room. It was already messy. Roy smiled down at her as she was forced to rub up against him to fit in the tiny space between him and the door jam.

"Rooooowwwww" Roy purred, "I like them feisty." He said, attempting to shut the door behind her. Rich moved swiftly, and stuck his foot in the door jam before Roy could accomplish his goal. Realizing his mistake, Roy added, "Because feisty ones are so much better at….studying….science….eh heh yeah." He grinned sheepishly at Rich before backing up against the wall and into the shadows.

Kory was facing her sister, Koma, who was tangled in the sheets. Neither moved, and for a long minute, neither talked, either.

"I hate you." Kory said, slowly and quietly, so that her sister almost didn't catch it. "You come here after putting this family through a load of crap by running away, and act like you own the place."

"Excuse me, but-"Koma began. Kory cut her off.

"No, you've used up all of your excuses. Now I'M going to talk, and YOU'RE going to listen. I am not the little girl that you used to push around anymore. I've grown so much in the time you were gone. Xavier beat me. He beat me for a long, long time. He's in jail now, and your little dish-throwing contest took me back to some of the worst nights of my life. I want you gone by tomorrow night. You and your little sideshow-Bob of a boyfriend who likes to talk and act before he thinks are gone. I can't take the stress of having to baby sit you two during my junior and senior years, not when everything is so close to becoming normal again. So tomorrow, you're out. And next time you come back, if there is a next time, you will be respectful of me and all of my friends. We are not your little slaves anymore, and we never will be, again. Do I make myself clear?" Kory said. Every syllable seemed to shake with anger, and her hands were clutched so tightly into fists that her palms were beginning to drip blood from her nails digging into them.

"Crystal." Koma said. She said it coolly and with feigned indifference. But Kory knew that deep inside, she was almost as mad at Kory, as Kory was at her.

Kory turned on her heels and stomped out of the room and down the stairs, not stopping until she reached the couch, where she sat down in the middle and clutched a pillow to her chest. Richard followed her out of the room, sending a final death glare at Roy, and shutting the door quietly behind him. The rest of the famous five filed in silently, sitting around Kory, in the quiet of the aftermath of a raging argument. No one made a sound until, quite suddenly, in fact, Kory giggled. The single laugh became a fit of the giggles too powerful to tame, and finally the whole room was erupting in laughter. Even Rachel contributed here and there. Upstairs, however, the aftermath was quite different.

"Ungrateful little brat!" Koma screamed as she hurled another shoe, this time at Roy's head. He ducked, and it sailed out of the open window. "I'll get her back for this! Just wait until I get her back!"

"Kory. Kory, wake up." Rich shook his girlfriend, gently. The four had decided late last night after she had fallen asleep, that they would surprise her by taking her out for the day. They were going to go to Universal Studios, then end the day with a night at City Walk.

"What's the emergency?" Kory asked groggily, rubbing her eyes.

"Nothing, silly. We're taking you out for the day. Now hurry up and get in the shower and change. We want to leave in thirty minutes: everyone else is already ready." Richard said.

With in twenty, they were all in Victor's car, Rachel in the front, Gar, Rich, and Kory in the back. Kory dozed off on Rich's shoulder after being told to shut her eyes so she couldn't find out where they were taking her. The mood was content in the car, and an air of hope surrounded all five, but wasn't spoken of. It was still quite early, so Vic turned up the radio and no one said the word until they pulled into the parking lot at precisely 9:30 in the morning. Right on time.

The phone rang once. Twice. On the third ring, Koma managed to find the receiver on her bedside table, and pulling the sheet around her, sat up.

"H-hello?" she yawned into the receiver. Roy grabbed for her, and she giggled, slapping his arm playfully. He rolled over and went back to sleep.

"Hello, I'm sorry to call so early, Miss Anders, but you never sent a reply to the letter we sent you. About the trial?" An orderly and businesslike voice said alertly on the other end.

"Letter? Trial?" Koma asked, not taking in a word of it.

"Yes, the trial for Xavier Red's case of abuse. You need to testify to it in court, or else we can't properly condemn him of anything. This is Kory Anders, is it not?" The voice said, a little uncertainly.

Koma nearly dropped the phone in shock.

**REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! I want 40 Reviews in total in order to post the next chappie-that means I need a minimum of seven! GO GO GO!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guys, I know I promised to write another chapter if I got a total of 40 reviews. The thing is…I got 44. Therefore, I forfeited my one night of being able to go to bed early and NOT be dead in basketball practice, to write you this chapter: I hope you guys like it! Lol. OHH and apparently, the line brakes I inserted when typing the last chapter didn't go through when I put it on the Internet (thanks to reviewer who pointed it out to me!). Sorry about that, I didn't realize it would be so difficult to read and figure out when the chapters change. Therefore, I will now be inserting WORDS as line breaks between scenes…you'll see what I mean.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

"Um…Kory, yeah, this is she…I mean her…I mean me. Because I'm Kory, of course." Koma said, fighting desperately to regain her composure.

Roy rolled over.

"Kory? Is that you baby? What are you doing in my bed?" Still half asleep, he began to kiss Koma's arm.

"Roy, ugh! Get off you idiot!" Koma hissed at him, smacking him away.

"Um, excuse me, but I really need to discuss with you the date and time of the trial, as well as what questions we'll be asking you. Along with that, a full physical examination will need to be issued, in order to see the improvement your body has made since we took the last physical, right after Xavier was arrested." The voice said, as if it had practiced saying this many times and had eventually toned out all the spaces and voice tones, molding the request into a stiff-sounding testimonial from a robot's diary. (A/N: did that make ANY sense at all?!?)

"Okay, well, if you'll just give me your number," Koma said, "I'm sure we can talk about his over coffee or lun-".

Koma stopped, a malicious grin plastered on her face. With a sidelong look at Roy, she laughed menacingly, and put the receiver back up to her voice with a raised eyebrow.

"On second thought, this won't be necessary." Koma said, malevolent satisfaction spreading throughout her body like an infectious disease.

"E-excuse me?" The voice asked uncertainly.

"You heard me." Koma said, a little more aggressively than she had meant it…not that she even noticed, or anything.

"Well, Ms. Anders, I highly recommend that you reconsider! In order for us to keep Xavier in jail-"The voice pleaded. Obviously, it wasn't used to being second-guessed.

"I know-you need me to testify, right? Well, I don't want to. End of story." Koma said. MAN this geek was persistent!

"But, Ms. Anders, Xavier will go free…" The voice trailed off.

"Good. Then when he gets out, I want you to send him the message that I refused to testify against him so that he could go free. In fact, I want him out as soon as possible!" Koma said, barely containing her giggles of savage delight.

"Okay…well, Ms. Anders…I hope you have a w-wonderful day…" The voice said, trying its best to end on a good note.

"Oh, I will." Koma said, hanging up. Positively beaming with the evilness inside her, she turned to Roy, giving him a hard shove.

"Roy, wake up. It's time to leave…."

KORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORY

Kory turned the key in her front door, smiling to herself as she pushed open the now unlocked door.

Turning to her friends one last time, she gave a cheerful wave and watched Victor's car pull out of her driveway. Once the last ray of light from Victor's overly bright headlights had vanished, she walked into her darkened home.

"Koma? Roy?" She called. Had they actually left? She smiled to herself at the thought. After having such a good day, she was ready to make up with her sister, maybe even give Roy a hug….on second thought, she'd just leave it at making up with her sister, and she'd be sure to lock her bedroom door.

Gliding up the stairs, she stopped to turn on the light in her room and kick off her shoes at the doorway. She then proceeded down the hall to the closed door of her sister's bedroom, taking off her large hoop earrings as she went.

She knocked, and when no one answered, quietly pushed the door open. The room was a mess, but it was empty. She guessed her sister really had left! She giggled a little bit. That was good news, but bad news at the same time.

Her sister was gone…but that also meant that she was alone-all alone-in her huge house.

Richard couldn't come stay with her, either; he had to attend a special meeting with Bruce and Alfred early the next morning, which was the only reason she wasn't staying at his house. Bruce and Alfred loved having her around, and she was still a little uneasy with being alone.

She took a shower, loving the fresh, clean feeling she got as she dried off and blew her hair dry. She ended up leaving her hair still damp; this way, her crimson locks could dry overnight, and she found they always had a little extra bounce in them when she did that.

Brushing her teeth, she pondered the thought of surprising Richard with a picnic lunch, or something, around midday-he'd be done with his family meeting by then.

She slipped out of her bath robe and into the warmness of her pajamas: a tank top that revealed some midriff, and some baggy sweatpants. She slipped the window open halfway, and crawled into her bed, positively loving the fact that she was genuinely happy.

She went to sleep with a smile on her face.

Unfortunately, she didn't wake up that way…

It was 2:30 a.m., why was she awake? She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but when a slight breeze fluttered in through the open window above her bed, she shivered, sitting up and rubbing her eyes.

She supposed it was because her hair was wet, and the window was open; she must have woken up because she was too cold…and yet, she admitted as she closed the window and latched it, she wasn't all that freezing. A little chilly maybe…but….not unbearably cold.

Pushing it from her mind, she adjusted the pillows and turned over onto her side, trying desperately to fall back into the rise-fall-rise-fall breathing pattern of one sleeping. When she failed, she opened her eyes and whispered-to herself, of course-

"Something's just not right."

After about fifteen more minutes of worrying, she decided not to call Richard. She didn't want to worry him, too. And besides, she needed to be able to stand on her own with some things…she didn't like depending on Richard so much, even though she knew he didn't mind.

Sighing, she fell into an uneasy sleep, and eventually woke up at a much more acceptable hour of the morning with bags under her eyes and a heavy conscience, although she couldn't for the life of her figure out why…

XAVIERXAVIERXAVIERXAVIERXAVIERXAVIERXAVIERXAVIERXAVIER

The cell door opened. Did they purposely set prisoners free at such early hours of the morning, to discourage them from doing anything stupid on their first night of freedom? Xavier had no clue, but he wasn't going to stick around to ask.

"You're free to go." The guard said grudgingly. He hated criminals.

"Thanks..." Xavier said. He proceeded to walk out of his cell, trying not to look too eager, when the guard stopped him with a slight tap of his baton. Xavier turned inquiringly. "Yes?"

"Your little girlfriend decided not to pull the trigger, but that doesn't mean we won't still be watching you. We know you're guilty, and one false move and you'll be in here for the better part of your life, sonny." The guard took pride in his lectures.

"Thanks." Xavier said sarcastically. "That's enlightening."

-

-

-

-

-

The wind felt absolutely wonderful on his slightly long locks of hair, but Xavier had more than that on his mind.

Taking his first step out into the bitter cold, he walked down the street aimlessly, pondering to himself.

"She…didn't testify?"

Xavier decided to go and thank Kory tomorrow. He wouldn't try to worm back into her life or anything…but he still cared for her, and he wanted her to know that. Sighing, he looked up at the stars…_I'm sorry, Kor_...

He promised himself he wouldn't try to get back with her. He'd say thank you, part ways on a slightly more positive note, and then move out of the state, starting a new life.

-

-

-

If only things ever went according to plan.

**Yes, a little predictable, I know, but did you like it though???**

**HEHE that rhymed…now please review-My next chapter will be posted at 55 reviews!**


	8. Chapter 8

**SO: I have 55 reviews on this story :. I will now be posting on these parting words:**

**PEYTON MANNING IS MY HUSBAND. WE JUST WON THE SUPERBOWL :**

**Ahem. Thank you. And now on with the story.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the teen titans…….moron….**

The doorbell rang….and rang….and rang. Darting downstairs, Kory tugged open the doors. She had dosed off while brushing her hair. Last night was NOT her best night when it came to sleeping.

Tugging open the door, she gasped when she saw who was on the other side.

"Richard!" she exclaimed, jumping into his arms. (A/N: tricked ya! Haha)

"Hey Kor. Just thought I'd come to say 'good morning' to my favorite girl and see how she's doing" said Rich, bending down and kissing her swiftly on the cheek. Kory giggled. Rich looked down at her and his smile faltered.

"Kory, what's wrong? You have huge bags under your eyes-did you sleep well?" Rich asked in concern.

"Actually, no…I had the most peculiar feeling last night. I woke up at about like 4 o'clock in the morning, and I couldn't for the life of me figure out why…I just felt something…wrong, you know?" Kory said uncertainly. She really didn't want Richard to worry about her-she didn't want to depend on him so much, either. But it was so hard when he looked at you like that!

"Maybe you should go lay down, babe. You don't look so hot." Richard said, giving his girlfriend the once-over. "I mean, you always look hott, but right now you don't look so good. But you always look good, I just mean-"

Kory silenced him with a finger to his lips. "I will go lay down if you come with me…I don't feel right, being all alone."

"Anything for you, Kory." Rich said, picking Kory up in a huge hug. It was then that Kory looked over Richard's shoulder. It was then that her giggles ceased, and every muscle in her petite body seemed to go rigid with fear and shock. It was then that she began to feel dizzy, was then that she found a funny taste in her mouth that reminded her of the times when it was filled with blood.

It was then that she saw him. The very person she never wanted to see again; never _expected_ to see him again!

It was then that she saw Xavier Red.

She began scratching and clawing in a desperate attempt to get our of Richard's arms.

"Kory, Kory! What's wrong?" Richard put her down quickly, but gently. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she backed into the house and up against the nearest wall, rolling her body into a ball and burying her head in her hands. Richard knelt beside her and stroked her hair as heavy sobs racked her body.

"What's the matter? Talk to me, it's Richard." He said, trying to get through to her, and positively filled with worry.

"X….X….ave….Richard it was him!" She cried even harder.

"Kory, I don't understand, what's wrong?" Richard asked?

"It's me." said a grim voice from the doorway. There he stood. Xavier Red, leaning casually against the doorpost, with a vacant smile on his face.

Kory looked up once, gave a little squeal, and scampered into the other room like a mad woman. The boys heard her bedroom door shut, and Richard stepped in front of Xavier, blocking him from his girl friend's house.

"What do you want?" Richard asked, not at all liking the expression on Xavier's face.

"Well, I had originally just wanted to come and say sorry to Kory, and to thank her for not testifying so that I could get out of jail." Xavier said in a slow voice, confidence building with every syllable.

"She…didn't testify? On purpose?" Richard asked. This caught him off guard. He was not at all prepared for that one.

"Yes. So I was going to come thank her, and be gone from her life forever. But here's the catch. I saw YOU here. And now I know, that what you said that night, about her being your girl friend was true. And now I know that she cheated on me. And now I know that she deserved what she got. But I also know, that I get jealous very, very easily." Xavier said. Rich's uncertainty boiled over into anger.

"What do you want?" Rich asked.

"I want her. Because you have her. And Xavier Red ALWAYS gets what he wants." And before Richard could say anything more, Xavier was off in a flash. He always was a fast one. Richard would've chased after him, but he knew Kory needed him, and all of her other friends, more than anything. And he also needed to talk to her.

Sighing, he closed the door and sat down at Kory's kitchen table, deciding to give her a little bit of time for herself. And this also gave him a chance to think.

_Why wouldn't she testify?_

He flipped open his phone, and began calling the three people he knew Kory would need, (along with him), the most. But he couldn't help but wonder, _why can't anything ever be easy for Kory?_

**Okay. I'm honestly not crazy about this chapter. I think its kind of weak, but I've been having a horrible couple of past weeks, so that might be why. Hopefully the next chapter will be way better and up soon! REVIEW ...please:**


	9. Chapter 9

**SORRY for the late update! My winter formal was yesterday, and I've been running around getting ready for it and stuff. Anyway, it's really weird to go back and read the last chapter you posted after such a long time and not recognize your own writing, ha!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the teen titans.**

Kory sat, in an extremely uncomfortable position, in between her bed and the wall. She had always sat there when something was wrong, whenever her parents were fighting with her sister, or her father was talking business on the phone and screaming at the person on the other end incessantly. She'd sit in the tiny space, beneath the window above her bed, and just think about everything. It calmed her, in a way, to have her own personal space where no one could get to her; she wasn't stupid, of course she knew that she wasn't indestructible, but she had such a peaceful demeanor while she was in that little shoebox of a space…

Hugging her knees close to her chest, she rested her hands on her kneecaps, and listened to the world around her. She heard Richard walking around downstairs, or maybe it was Xavier. No, it was Richard. He was pacing. (She had grown very good at figuring out what was going on by simply listening to the sounds they were making over the course of her life due to the excessive amount of time she spent, quietly thinking to herself, snuggled behind the bed. Now she was pro, and she could tell that Richard was a bit aggravated. She couldn't help but wonder, _was it something I did?_

No, no of course not, she decided. She didn't do anything wrong…sure, she was a little emotional at seeing Xavier, but that's to be expected, right? It's not like she wanted him to come out of jail or anything. Quite the contrary, she had never wanted to see his facie again! Pushing this disturbing subject from her mind, she pondered all the possible ways that Xavier could've possibly gotten out. Maybe he was let out on bail? No, no one would've paid it, his family lives a lifetime away, in fact, she could only remember meeting them once, and it was a very undesirable meeting, since they had practically broken down his door asking for money. So bail was definitely not how he got out.

He could've gotten let out for good behavior. Knowing Xavier, this wasn't the case.

He could've broken out…aha! He broke out! So all Kory had to do was call down to the police station, and tell them that their favorite inmate was missing, and then they'd catch him and he'd be out of her life for good! Practically laughing with relief, Kory reached across her bed and grabbed the phone, dialing the number she now knew by heart. (She had spent many a night dialing this number, letting it ring once, and then changing her mind and hanging up again, deciding that Xavier could change…)

"Jump City Police Department, station number 3445, how may I help you?" Said a voice that she knew to be Officer Grey, an old man with a kind heart. He ran things at the station, and he had befriended Kory in her troubled times.

"Officer Grey? It's Kory Anders." She said.

"Oh. Hi." His response was rather…cold. Did she do something wrong?

"Well um, I wanted to let you know that Xavier's out. He just showed up at my house a little while ago, but he left now." Said Kory a little uncertainly. Why did it seem like everyone was mad at her today?

"I know he did. And we expected him to go to you. Did he hurt you?" His response was stony.

"No…what do you mean you expected him to go to my house? Why didn't you come here to head him off or something?" Kory was a little annoyed by this information. Were they just going to sit and twiddle their thumbs while Xavier harassed her?

"Look, there's nothing we can do, this was your choice, and we can't protect you from yourself, Kory. You're a wonderful girl, but letting Xavier back into your life is a mistake that we can't help you to change." Said the officer, with a little more pain in his voice than he had meant to let her see. He didn't want Kory to get hurt again, but she was bringing it upon herself.

"What are you talking about, officer? I didn't let Xavier do anything. YOU were the one who let him out!" retorted Kory haughtily.

"Kory, you refused to testify. I had no choice." Said the officer. Something fishy was going on.

"Excuse me? I never refused anything. I don't appreciate these accusations, officer." Said Kory. She wasn't annoyed anymore, she was just plain angry. How dare he!

"Kory, I'll play the tape the law offices sent us. They said they called you yesterday morning, and you requested that Xavier Red be let out of jail and refused all of the receptionist's pleas for you to testify." He was worried now.

"Yes, can you please…?" Her voice trailed off as she realized... She wasn't home yesterday morning.

Officer Grey played Kory the tape, and all of her suspicions were confirmed. Koma was responsible for this horrible knot in the pit of Kory's stomach, Koma was responsible for Richard being angry with her, Koma was responsible for letting Xavier back into her sister's life…knowingly.

And Kory hated her for it.

Kory told Officer Grey of her suspicions, and he took down the whole thing in a report. He promised to alert all of the other stations in the area for Koma, but that he couldn't do anything about Xavier, and that he was sorry. Kory thanked the officer and hung up.

Crying, and wondering how Koma could do anything so horrible, Kory put the phone on the hook and walked slowly to her door to tell Richard what she had found out. She got halfway there, changed her mind, and went back to sit between the bed in the wall, this time sobbing and rocking silently to her self, rocking slightly back and forth.

She wondered, _why can't anything ever just be easy?_

**Okay, I know this chapter was boring. It was kind of a fill in chapter because I had to tie up some loose ends and what not. Review please!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Sorry I made you wait so long! Here it is, hot off the press…that doesn't quite work over the internet, does it? Haha.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans.**

Richard paced nervously around the kitchen floor. Occasionally, he'd show some signs of letting up, but then, after he'd paused for a couple of seconds, he'd turn right around and keep pacing, muttering about this or that…nothing important-or coherent, at least. This wasn't anything new, seeing as he'd been doing it for the past three hours. Rachel sat, trying unceremoniously to read her new book on myths and the shreds of truth behind them, it would have been a dull find for anyone but Rachel, but then again, there wasn't anyone quite like Rachel.

Gar, on the other hand, sat on the kitchen counter, staring blankly out of the window. Rachel's eyes occasionally flicked over to his quiet form, wondering what on earth was enabling him to sit so…still.

Victor busied himself by juggling forks. He was doing rather well, actually, when he accidentally dropped one on the table. About five seconds later, Richard seemed to come out of his stupor, and slammed his fist down on the table with a cry of frustration.

Because of some weird coincidence, his fist landed on the spear part of the fork, sending it flying. It squarely hit its mark: the back of Garfield's head. This caused him to lose his balance, and in one fluid motion, he toppled out of the window he was practically leaning halfway out of.

With a yelp, he landed hard on his butt, causing a crash that scared the living daylights out of Rachel. Standing up, she surveyed the scene and after realizing what had happened, yelled "Garfield! You made me lose my page!"

With that, she sat back down. Victor went back to juggling, though this time he used spoons to be on the safe side. Richard went back to pacing, rubbing his fist thoughtfully.

KORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORY

Kory made her way to the bathroom in her bedroom. She had fallen asleep after crying for what seemed like hours. Still thoroughly shaken up and slightly disbelieving that all of this could be happening to her. What had she done to deserve all of this?

Sighing, she turned on the water in her shower, adjusting it to scorching hot-just how she liked it.

GARFIELDGARFIELDGARFIELDGARFIELDGARFIELDGARFIELD GARFIELDGARFIELDGARFIELDGARFIELDGARFIELDGARFIELD GARFIELDGARFIELDGARFIELD

Standing up and brushing himself off, he cursed the others for showing such little care that he had just flipped headfirst out of a window. Looking up, he realized how high off the ground that window had actually been, and gulped, reflecting only briefly on what could have happened. Realizing he wouldn't be able to get back in through the window, he prepared himself to walk to the front porch-and at Kory's mansion, that porch was far!

With his first step, he decided to make a run for it. He was afraid of the dark. After about two minutes of seriously just running (he was slow…and very out of shape) he finally had the porch in sight. As he neared the porch that would lead him to his salvation, his movement triggered the automatic porch light. It was then that he looked down, and saw the footprints-footprints that went the opposite direction, and wrapped themselves around the house.

Cursing his curiosity quite heavily, he got out his cell phone and opened it, pointing it to the ground so that he could see where the footprints where. He followed them all the way around the house, into the backyard, through the shortcut through the rose bushes, around the pool, around the second pool, around the Jacuzzi, and to the sliding glass door.

Garfield had never appreciated the expanse of Kory's house before. In all truthfulness, it was a dang palace! Looking past the irony of this situation, Gar turned his attention to the end of the footprints trail, and nearly dropped his cell phone in horror. Regaining his composure, he dialed the first number that came to his mind

KORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORY

Kory stepped out of the shower, feeling very refreshed. The feeling of cleanliness, alone, raised her spirits a bit…but just a bit.

Wrapping a towel around her hair, she began to dry herself off with another towel. After she had finished, she put on a tank top and some sweatpants, and began blowing her hair dry. She wasn't really concerned about her appearance at the moment, but it did give her something to do. After she was done with that, she grabbed the two towels and swept out of the room, trying to keep her mind blank, and her head clear. She couldn't think about any of this anymore, it was just too much for her to handle.

As she exited the bathroom, one of the towels got caught on a pencil in the jar on her desk, and the whole thing toppled over. Throwing the towels back onto the bathroom floor and cursing, she began to pick everything up. Glue, pencils, pens, erasers, all went back into the jar in random order. As she placed it back onto the desk, her foot brushed up against something cold on the ground. Reaching down absent-mindedly, she picked up the large pair of scissors that had fallen just out of her sight.

Ready to put the scissors back into the jar, she paused, thinking of something that would keep her mind off of the mental pain she was experiencing: physical pain.

RACHELRACHELRACHELRACHELRACHELRACHELRACHELRACHELRACHELRACHELRACHELRACHELRACHELRACHELRACHELRACHELRACHELRACHEL

Turning the page of her book, she was just getting to a particularly juicy part on the birth of Hera, a Greek goddess, and the significance of the size of her third toe, when her phone vibrated against her. This came so suddenly, that she jumped and dropped her book. Her answer was not pleasant.

"Garfield, this is the second time in one night that you've caused me to lose my place in my book, I suggest that you-"Rachel's angry voice trailed off. Her eyes open wide; she thanked Garfield, told him to get inside as soon as possible, and hung up the phone. At this point, Victor and even Richard had stopped what they were doing, and turned to Rachel inquisitively. Rachel cleared her throat.

"Well, after Garfield landed outside, he seemed to have spotted some footprints and followed them to the back door, which is, in fact, open. The screen was slit and the lock swiped open with a credit card, I'm guessing. Xavier is in the house." Rachel said matter-of-factly. All at once, the three teens stood up, but it was too late. The lights in the house went off.

KORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORYKORY

She sat down at the desk, not once even considering what she was doing. She opened the scissors and positioned them at an angle to her forearm, just below the palm of her hand. Pressing down with the scissors, she poised herself for one full left-to-right sweep. With a deep breath, she pressed down even harder.

It was then that the lights went out. It was then that her hand slipped. Kory tried to scream, but a hand went quickly around her mouth, and something hard came down on her head. She fell to the floor in a bloody mass, unconscious, and unknowing that despite her previous thoughts, her troubles had just begun.

**Okay, a little suspenseful, I'm thinking! REVIEW PLEASE!!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Okay, so. I'm pretty much over that flame now. I've gotten out all of my aggression and I'm ready to write! **

**Before I continue, however, I just have a few quick comments concerning my dear friend Lulu: **

**Yes, the word "retarded" is offensive, I apologize. However, what is even more offensive is the way you totally disregard my feelings and attack the way I live, (i.e. my religion, and before you say it, I DO believe in evolution because I am a Catholic, not a conservative Catholic, just a Catholic). **

**I did take your review very hard, yes. Not because I care that you don't like my story. In fact, one out of eighty-six reviews is bound to be bad, and I was expecting at least one, if not a handful. I took your review "rather hard" because you felt the need to make comments on my beliefs, and THAT I do not appreciate in the slightest. You do not know anything about me. You have never met me, and hopefully (no offense, but I'm not in a rush to shake your hand at the moment), I won't be meeting you any time soon. Therefore, I do not understand how you can justify making judgments on my personality and character, when you really don't know anything about me.**

**Lives are probably sold in the same place you told that other writer to get a backbone. (Yes, I did my homework. I basically wanted to see if you were that mean to everyone, or just to me; I realized I caught you on a very good day, and sympathize with all those who weren't so lucky). Maybe in your case, they'll just give you a life for free. I go to school too, sweetie pie, but they actually stress respect at my school. We're also taught manners, with a little bit of understanding and compassion mixed in. **

**OH MY GOD! You go to school? Why didn't you tell me??? Now I feel stupid. I'm sorry. That explains everything. I understand your flame now. I'm sorry for the inconvenience, if I would have known before, I would never have retaliated-you're so right! I'm wrong. Thank you, thank you so much for clearing that up for me…boy do I feel stupid! You go to school…wow…I'm sorry. That really explains everything! NOT. (I treasure my sarcasm). And I am not obsessed with Jesus Christ. It's called having a religion, and following it. Your little prejudice against Christians is really getting annoying. It's a world religion. Get over it.**

**I do not write crap. I write stories. Most people like them very much, as you can see by the reviews I receive and the amount of people who were likewise upset by your blatant bashing of me, (for no reason, might I add). As long as just one person was supportive of me, I know that my stories are liked. And I had more than one person who thinks you're way out of line. However, I'm not some arrogant jerk who thinks she is indestructible and that her stories will always be liked by everyone. I understand that you don't like my story at all. Basically, what I'm asking you to do, well, just stop reading it if it's that bad. Thanks.**

**TO MY OTHER REVIEWERS: do you think if I ignore her from now on, she'll go away? Let's try it, shall we? If she leaves a nasty review in response, I'll just delete it and act like nothing happened. After all, it's nothing to me. Not anymore. I've realized that she seems to enjoy getting a rise out of people by insulting them, so maybe if I take away that sadistic pleasure of hers, maybe she'll go and find someone else to bother.**

**One last thing, since she seemed so happy that the last chapter was for her, let me just say that although it wasn't technically a chapter, and all I did was talk back to my dear friend Lulu, THAT LAST CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO ALL OF MY LOYAL REVIEWERS, WHOM I LOVE VERY MUCH…hehe, love her very much…that's a good one.**

The room plunged into darkness. All was silent. When I say all was silent, I mean that all was silent besides the blood curdling scream that rang throughout the house. It chilled everyone to the bone, and stirred something deep inside Rachel's soul-sarcasm.

"Garfield, stop screaming!" She said annoyed as he ran in the room screaming his head off.

"Oh my god I can't see a thing! Rachel! Rachel is that you? Where are you?" Garfield dropped to the ground and started crawling around, stopping only when he reached Victor's leg and started kissing it frantically.

"I'm so glad I found you! I was so scared, and it was dark, and-" Garfield began.

"Whoa, whoa! Stop kissing my leg and go find your little girlfriend!" Moments later, Victor cursed loudly as a book hit him on the side of the head. "Rachel, how did you hit me when I can't even see my hand in front of my face?"

"I guess idiots are good targets." She said shrugging, not that anyone could see it. In the meantime, Garfield had detached himself from Victor's leg and crawled over to Rachel's voice, standing up quickly when he reached her feet. Standing beside her, he regained his composure and grabbing her hand protectively. Startled by the quick change of the immaturity level of her friend, she allowed her hand to stay in his grip, which was surprisingly comforting.

"Um…where did Richard go?" Rachel asked, instantly worried about her brother figure. The moment she had said it, she wished she hadn't; she knew exactly where he was. And this led her to be instantly worried about another close friend of hers-her best friend, in fact.

"Kory," Said victor quietly, almost to himself. With that, the trio hurried out of the room, opening their cell phones and using what little light they had to feel and guess their way through the house and up to Kory's room.

RICHARDRICHARDRICHARDRICHARDRICHARDRICHARDRICHARDRICHARDRICHARDRICHARDRICHARDRICHARDRICHARDRICHARDRICHARDRICHARDRICHARDRICHARDRICHARDRICHARDRICHARDRICHARDRICHARDRICHARDRICHARDRICHARDRICHARD

Richard moved as quickly as he could through the house. Even in the dark, he knew ever corner, creak, and floorboard almost by heart. He cursed Xavier in his mind. If that punk hurt Kory again….

The very thought struck fear-yes fear-in Richard's heart. Kory was his life, his rock in hard times. She was his love; she had always been his love. She was his reason for living, his reason for waking up in the morning and actually making an effort to get out of bed and into his homeroom on time. He thought about her every waking moment, which wasn't hard considering they were almost always together. She had become a part of him, as close to his heard as his left shoulder blade-no, she was closer. And he couldn't even begin to imagine going through the rest of his life without a shoulder-so what on earth was he supposed to do if he had to go through life without Kory??

This, and only this, went through his head as he pushed the door to her room open. It didn't take a lot of effort on his part-it was already open. The doorknob was broken; it turned all the way around in its little socket, almost as if to scream "I'm helpless" as it jiggled limply in Richard's hand.

He almost hesitated, afraid of what he might find on the other side. Almost. Propelling himself into the room, his foot crossed the threshold at the same time as the lights went back on. Kory was on the floor, lying in a heap in a small puddle of a dark liquid that Richard prayed wasn't blood. Rushing over to her and blinking back tears that came to his eyes, he had almost lifted her up when he saw her wrist adding to the now growing puddle of blood.

A pair of scissors lay but inches from the limp fingertips of his dying girlfriend.

**Okay so. That was short. I'm sorry! But I did update! I should get points for that. Haha. Yay! My birthday's in eight days! Maybe I'll update on my birthday as a present to you!...wait…that's backwards...**


	12. Chapter 12

**WHEW! FINALLY! Sorry for the delay, I wrote six pages to make up for it! WARNING: this is an intense chapter.**

**WARNING number TWO: this story is drawing to a close! Sequel? Yes? No?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans.**

He continued to sprint down the street, not slowing down when he heard another set of feet join him in his run. Once he heard the third pair of feet join in, he sped up even more. He knew they were not to be feared; the owners of the feet had just helped him attack Kory.

He hadn't meant for it to elevate to actually attacking her though…at least not to such a _violent_ attack! He had reviewed the plan countless times. He had it all down. He was supposed to knock her out, gag her, and be on his way with his new hostage. It wasn't supposed to be a murder-

He stopped dead in his tracks, causing Koma to run into him, and Roy to run into Koma. They all toppled into the pavement and rolled a bit. Xavier stood up abruptly, only to realize his knees had turned to rubber. He stood up and leaned against the big tree that they had ended up in front of. Ironic, he thought with a grim smile, that it should start and end here. Shakily, he turned to look up at the large oak which happened to be supporting him. This is where it had all started. Well, not really all of it, but this is where he had found out that Kory had cheated on him with Richard. But had she really?

Slightly hyperventilating, Xavier allowed himself to slide down the tree and into a sitting position and closed his eyes, leaning his head back. Silent tears began to pour down his face. It was a while before the silence was broken.

"Where is she, X?" Koma asked quietly. She was curious as to the whereabouts of her brat of a sister.

Xavier opened his eyes slowly, and attempted to talk. When only a faint croaking sound came out of his mouth, he felt his whole throat tightened, and closed his eyes once more.

"Well?" she asked again, a little more forcefully.

With a great effort, Xavier pulled himself up, staggering to an upright position; his whole body was shaking. "I didn't mean to."

"What?" her reply was almost as deathly quiet as Xavier's had been.

"I…it was an accident." He tried yet again, to reveal what he was feeling inside.

"What was an accident?" It was Roy who asked this time.

"She's…..Kory is…..I killed her." Xavier said. The tears were coming harder now; if it wasn't dark, Koma and Roy might have been able to see them.

"No…no. NO! That's my little sister! You were supposed to knock her out! Scare her a little bit for THROWING ME OUT OF THE HOUSE! HOW COULD YOU LET THIS HAPPEN?!" Koma cried. Tears were now pouring down her face as well. Roy let out a dry sob.

"She was so _hott_."

"SHUT UP ROY!" Koma and Xavier said at the same time.

In anguish, Koma ran at Xavier and began beating her fists into his chest. Already reeling, he shoved her away roughly and she fell to the ground, scraping her bare arms. She didn't fight to stand back up, but instead crawled off the pavement and collapsed on the grass, sobbing into it with all her might. She never meant for this to happen. She was angry with Kory, for always being so perfect and pretty and cheerful. She wanted to scare her, let her know whose boss in the family; but NEVER did Koma mean to kill her. Deep, deep….DEEP down inside that steely attitude of hers, Koma had a lot of admiration, even love for Kory. And now, because of her, Kory was dead.

How would she ever explain this to her mother or father, or Ryan, for that matter? Kory was everyone's favorite. Koma had always been the troublemaker. Now, she'd be shunned from the family; she'd have to change her name and move to another city, maybe a different country! She'd be looked down upon, possibly incarcerated, and perhaps even written out of the will! All because Kory was dead. But….why? Why had this happened in the first place?

"Why?" Koma asked quietly. She raised herself, quite precariously, into a sitting position and sat rocking back and forth with her legs tucked up underneath her…much like Kory had done whenever she was upset. She pushed her hair out of her face, waiting for the answer.

Xavier didn't answer, partly because he didn't want to admit the cause of his violent lashing out at the girl he had once loved, but also because he was busy getting sick behind the tree. When he emerged from behind the tree, he stuck his arm out and placed his palm against the tree to steady himself. Koma tried again.

"Xavier…please. Tell me why you did it." Said Koma pleadingly.

"I don't…I'm not…I…" Xavier tried.

"PLEASE!" Koma cried out in anguish.

"I just…I don't know!" Sighing, Xavier sat down and leaned his back against the tree so that he was facing Koma. He looked up and caught her eye. His anger faded to sorrow. "I went in…everything was going according to plan. But when I got to her room, she was crying."

Koma couldn't help herself. She cut in, "Well what did you expect?"

"Shut up! Let me finish!" Xavier's eyes flashed.

"Sorry." Koma looked down, a bit ashamed at her actions. Xavier was dangerous; she had to exercise self control around him.

"I knocked her out, like we had planned but…but she was about to…slit her wrist. And I scared her; I made her hand slip, and it was a lot deeper of a gash than she had meant to make, I think…I'm not sure. But I grabbed her arm as she was falling off the chair and she kind of slumped over…on her stomach. And…and then I saw it. She had written a letter. It was to…to Richard, that bastard. It was a love letter. Koma, she really loved him. I couldn't take it. I decided that if I couldn't have her, then no one could. I looked down at her, and I…I don't know what came over me. I hit her again and again, until she was bleeding all over. I didn't realize what I had done until we were running. And that's why I stopped. Koma, I killed her. She's the only person I've ever loved, and I couldn't take her being happy if it meant she was with someone else. I'm…I'm so sorry." Xavier buried his hands in his arms and sobbed loudly.

For the first time in his life, Xavier was truly sorry.

He didn't even bother move when he heard the sirens.

RICHARDRICHARDRICHARD RICHARDRICHARDRICHARD RICHARDRICHARDRICHARD RICHARDRICHARDRICHARD RICHARDRICHARDRICHARD RICHARDRICHARDRICHARD RICHARDRICHARDRICHARD RICHARDRICHARDRICHARD RICHARDRICHARDRICHARD RICHARDRICHARDRICHARD RICHARDRICHARDRICHARD

As nurses and doctors alike filed past him, it seemed to Richard that there was no sound in the emergency room hallway. He was sitting outside of Kory's room, where doctors had been hurrying in and out of all night. In his hand was a note, possibly the last means of communication Richard might ever have from the girl who had been the love of his life.

His cheeks were tearstained, and his mind held nothing but the last words of his fallen lover echoing in his mind. He bent low over the letter again, though it was becoming more and more difficult to read, what with the puffiness of his eyes and the blurred ink due to the teardrops of both Kory as she was writing, and of course Richard whilst he was reading.

_To my dearest Richard,_

_I know not if I will end up taking my own life tonight-_ Richard smiled. She always had the cutest way of saying things-_but if I do, please know that you were the best thing that ever happened to me. Xavier was someone I thought I truly loved; I wanted to love him with all my heart. But deep down inside, I knew that since the moment I met you, you had captured my heart. Although I do regret not telling you sooner, you are the only boy that I will ever grow close enough to, to willingly change everything and anything about myself as you wish it.._

_You are the only boy I've ever trusted completely, and if you had asked me to run away with you at anytime in our lives, there's a 99 chance that I would have eagerly complied, (I guess it would all depend on if Ryan would approve of my leaving). I always secretly wished that you would find something horrible in every girlfriend you've ever had. Seeing you with them simply turned my stomach with jealousy; I will admit. Every time, when you asked what I thought of whoever you were having a passionate love affair with at the time, I always managed to find something wrong with them, knowing you valued my opinion._

_I am sad to say that Janet Jenkins did not have a bad nose. And Brittany Daniels's complexion was actually crystal clear, I never truly saw her 'mounting on the cover-up' in the girls' bathroom. Jasmine Altimira had a very nice sense of humor. Shelby Shin had a beautiful smile; her parents were dentists, she was graced with beautiful teeth since birth and she never had braces. And Kitten wasn't – well, Kitten _was_ actually touched in the head. That one I don't have to apologize for._

_Richard, I never thought that you would grow to love me, I was just your geeky best friend. And then came the summer before 7__th__ grade, and I grew breasts. Actual breasts. And, soon after I learned how to properly wash my face; my face was suddenly blemish-free. I thought it was a miracle. And then, all of a sudden, you were the one who had to begin looking after ME! YOU were the one telling me to ditch certain boyfriends, and YOU were the one fighting people in the hallway because you heard them say something disrespectful about me. I'll never forget the day you had a motorcycle race against that Johnny Rancid boy to settle a dispute that started when he said he'd like to "test ride" me. That was the stupidest thing you've ever done! You could've gotten killed; but I loved you even more for it._

_I guess the only true reason I started dating Xavier was to prove to myself that even if you never grew to see me as anything more than a best friend, I'd be okay. I wouldn't die if I never once got to hear you say "I love you, Kory" with out it being followed by "you're like a sister to me". And so I went for Xavier. I did everything I possibly could to keep him happy; and we saw how that turned out. But you saved me from that, too._

_You've become my superhero. Almost like a robin, your love was like a beautiful song that has gotten me through many tough times. You're here no matter what, and I know I can always count on you. I'm sorry I'm so weak. I wish I could be strong like you and tough it out. But I can't take much more of this. So even if I live through tonight, won't be able to cope with Xavier. There's no telling what I'll do to myself next if I'm forced to try and continue to deal with him. _

_So I want you to know how much you've meant to me, not only for the time that we've been dating, but also the time we've been best friends. I want you to know that I never asked for Xavier to be released…I don't know how it happened, but someone must have called in as me and asked for his release. I guess she sounded an awful lot like me. _

_Tell Rachel that I've written two full books of poetry and they are locked in the safe under my bed; she knows the code. I also want her to have the Edgar Allen Poe books she lent me. I made her a bookmark; it's in the second book on page 395. It's on my favorite poem, ("The Raven"). That should make her smile. Have you ever actually seen her smile? She doesn't do it very often, but it's beautiful. And tell her that Garfield is just like any other boy, (no offense), he's slow. He'll catch on soon. Tell her I promise that he'll realize just how much he loves her any day now; maybe he already has. Now we just have to wait for him to admit it._

_Let Victor know that I don't think it would kill him to have a bite of tofu one of these days; it would make a certain little animal lover very happy. I left the wrench he let me borrow in the red tool box in the shed…the third shed. Where I keep all of my tools; he should know which shed I'm talking about. (I'm convinced my house is too big for my own good). I got him a new stereo for his car for his birthday, its coming up soon. I'm sure he'll be able to install it in a jiffy; he's such a little computer wiz. Has he told you that I've grown accustomed to calling him a Cyborg? Probably not. Anyway, I want him to have it, his gift I mean. He'll find that in the shed, too. Also, I got a friend of mine to fix up his hydraulics for free. The card is pinned up to my bulletin board in my room; under the picture of me and Vic fixing up his car._

_And to Garfield, oh my little Beast boy. He loves animals more than anyone I've ever met, I'm sure you've realized this already. I recently found a man trying to sell a beautiful pair of parrots. They're a couple; they're about to have babies and he was looking for anyone who could take care of the family. I immediately thought of Garfield, so I've already paid for them. They're going to be delivered to his house in about a week; I just want to forewarn him in case it freaks him out that he's getting a gift from me after I'm…well, after I've gone. They're beautiful; he'll really like them. And I have a package of tofu in the refrigerator he hasn't eaten yet. I was just about to stock up; tell him to fix it for Vic and insist that I would have wanted him to try it just once._

_So, I've just about used up all the ink I have to spare; but I guess farewell letters are meant to be sentimental. I hope mine was. To all of you, I love you so much. Please let Ryan read this, if he ever gets well. What am I saying? Of course he will! Tell him I really love him, please. I've written a letter that I was going to send to him soon. It's in the second drawer in my desk. Please see that he gets it._

_Richard, this seems to be my last good-bye. Oh how I love you! Thank you so much for everything you've given me. Thank you so much more for everything you've taught and showed to me. But most of all, thank you for every time you've made me smile, laugh, or want to punch you so hard you're teeth fell out. (I hope you just smiled. I know I did.)_

_Love Always,_

_Kory Anders_

_PS-I do hope you can read this! I seemed to be leaking from my eyes, (I do that an awful lot, don't I). All this crying can't be healthy! Anyway, I think it's blurred the page in a couple spots, but I'm confident that you'll understand what it is I'm trying to say._

After folding the letter up carefully and tucking it into his coat pocket, Richard buried his face in his hands and wept. He didn't look up until he felt a tap on his shoulder. Looking up, he spotted the face of Raven. He jumped up and as he hugged her, found that he had begun to cry even more. They both cried together, slowly sitting back down and holding each other's hands as they wept for the same reason. Garfield and Victor came in not much later, and Garfield sat down on the other side of Rachel, immediately comforting her. Victor sat down in the chair next to Richard.

Together, the four of them looked at the door that hid the final and perhaps most valuable member of the "famous five". Together, the four friends wept and cried out, as Richard read Kory's letter, aloud this time. Silently, the letter was passed along so that each individual person could reread the part specifically written to them and laugh, only to weep even more when they were finished.

They stayed like that, united, for quite some time that night.

And when the final doctor came out to give them news, together, they stood up and looked him fearfully in the face, wondering if what they were about to hear would ruin their lives forever, or give them a little more hope to grasp as they fought to get through the night.

**Pretty intense, huh? Only one or two more chapters! I'm sorry this one took so long, I became TOTALLY out of it; I had no idea where I was going with it! Originally, I hadn't wanted it to be so short…but I'm thinking of a sequel? Yes? No?**

**REVIEW and let me know what you think :**


	13. Chapter 13The End

**Sorry it's been so long, guys. I'm so busy during summer! But I absolutely love it! Next stop, surf camp in San Diego 33. **

**Anyway, it's been great writing this story. I've decided that I'll probably do a sequel, as this is in fact the last chapter of the story. (sad face). But the sequel will come after I get well on my way with my favorite story that I've ever written and gotten deleted…er…the ONLY story I've ever half written and gotten deleted. It's new and improved, Desperate Acquaintances that I'm working on, and I'm SOOO excited!!! **

**Anyway, on with the last chapter of this installment of Unbearable Pain, (sad face…again). **

**Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own Teen Titans. **

"So, you're saying…she might never wake up?" asked Victor, not wanting to believe his ears.

"Yes, it is very possible, almost likely, that she won't wake up for a long time, or that she may remain in a shock-induced coma for the rest of her life. From what I've heard, this young lady's been through quite a bit of trauma in a very short time. It's a pity, too. So beautiful, and – from the way it looks – so full of life. She had a very promising future…" said the doctor.

"She still does." Said Garfield through gritted teeth. This couldn't be happening.

"Yes, yes I suppose." The doctor clapped Richard on the shoulder, quietly adding, "I'm sorry."

With that, the doctor walked away to leave the teens to their thoughts. A nurse walked out of Kory's room, and Raven stopped her.

"When will we be able to visit her?" she asked.

"As soon as all the tubes and machines are cleared up and moved out of the way. It may be a while, and you all have had a long night; why don't you go home and get some rest and come back tomorrow?" said the nurse in a warm, motherly voice.

"Yeah, thanks." Mumbled Rachel, turning back to the guys and taking Garfield's hand.

Rachel, Garfield, and Victor looked at Richard, who thus far hadn't said anything.

"Hey man, are you gonna be-"Victor started, putting his hand on Richard's shoulder, but Richard seemed to awake at the contact and jerked out of his reach.

"I'll be fine!" he snapped, walking down the hall in short, brisk strides. Victor turned to Rachel as Richard's tense figure turned the corner and strode out of view.

"What do you think?" he asked her. Rachel shook her head with a pained expression on her face.

"I don't know, Vic…I don't know."

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Three hours later, he was finally allowed to go visit her. He had stopped by the front desk to ask that he be notified as soon as Kory Anders was allowed visitors. He had simply walked around aimlessly until the hospital called his cell phone, wondering what on earth he was going to do without Kory.

As he walked into her room, he glanced about, taking notice of the dreariness of the curtains and the color of the room; it didn't suit Kory, not at all. A couple phone calls fixed that. He sat by Kory's bed while the deliveries poured in. He had ordered hundreds and hundreds of bright flowers to be placed all around the room. After they were all arranged and the door had been shut once more, he looked at Kory's pale face and wondered why he wasn't crying.

She looked so peaceful, though a bit paler than she would have been if she had just been asleep. But she was not dead, he had the high-pitched beeping from the machine right next to him to prove that. As long as Kory was alive, he knew there was still hope.

He began to talk to her, about how he had felt when he read the letter. About how much he loved her; how much he needed her.

At around 4 A.M., a nurse came in to suggest that he go get at least a few hours sleep and come back later. He consented, but only after making the nurse promise him full access again later in the day, and to look after Kory's flowers.

He bent low over Kory's bed and whispered in her ear, "Kory, don't worry. I'll be back. I love you, I need you; don't leave me." With one final kiss on the cheek, he swept out of the room.

The nurse shut the door with an admiring look at the strong young man, and turned around to be startled by two very bright green eyes looking back at her.

The nurse wrenched the door open and called to the retreating figure of the young man.

"Wait! Wait! Sir! Come back!"

Thinking something was wrong, Richard sprinted back down the hall and into the room, and felt his heart stop at the sight of an awake Kory.

"Kory! You're awake!" Richard rushed over to the love of his life and took her shoulders in his hands. He kissed her over and over on both cheeks, her forehead, her nose, and even the top of her hair. Feeling the tears of joy welling up in his eyes, he stepped back to look into the beautiful emerald eyes he had feared would be closed forever.

And found no sign of recognition.

"Kory..I-" started Richard, but he was interrupted.

"Please…how do you know my name?" The angelic voice seemed to echo around the room in a kind of taunting dance as Richard's heart dropped with a dull thud in his chest.

**Review, please! No, Kory doesn't remember a thing…should be an interesting sequel, yes? I hope so! Please review, thank you to all those who have reviewed already, this story was for all of you! YAY! MY FIRST COMPLETED FIC!! **


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